5.72kWp Solar PV with FoxESS ECS Battery Storage in Tonbridge, Kent

This 5.72kWp solar PV installation in Tonbridge, Kent features the FoxESS ECS battery storage system, the predecessor to the current EQS range and one of the most reliable modular high-voltage batteries FoxESS have produced. If you already own an ECS system, this installation is a useful reference for the technology that underpins the newer generation of FoxESS storage.

What the ECS actually does well

The ECS is a high-performance, scalable battery with a modular design, so capacity can be expanded in series as a household's energy needs grow rather than being fixed on day one. A plug-and-play installation approach and 90 percent depth of discharge mean it delivers efficient, dependable storage that maximises how much solar generation gets used in the house instead of exported.

Depth of discharge is the number worth understanding here. At 90 percent, nearly all of the battery's rated capacity is genuinely usable, which is not true of every unit on the market. It is one of the reasons ECS systems have aged well.

We fitted Perlight monocrystalline panels on this job, a module we rate highly for consistent output through the South East's mixed light conditions, mounted on the pitched roof using a Fastensol rail system for a secure, weathertight and low-maintenance fit built to last the panels' full 25-year lifespan.

The FoxESS inverter ties the system together, managing energy flow between the array, the battery, the property and the grid so the household maximises self-consumption and imports only when both generation and battery reserves are depleted. At 5.72kWp the system generates roughly 4,860 kWh a year.

• System size: 5.72kWp solar PV
• Solar panels: Perlight monocrystalline
• Battery storage: FoxESS ECS series
• Inverter: FoxESS
• Roof mounting: Fastensol pitched roof system
• Location: Tonbridge, Kent
• Application: Residential
• Estimated annual generation: 4,860 kWh